DOUBLE Olympic race walker, Alex Wright has returned to his old school in Cannington earlier this week to help officially open their swimming pool.

Alex, who was head boy in 2008 at the state boarding and day school, has represented Ireland in both the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games and is currently in training for the World Championships this summer.

Inspired by his PE teacher when he was a boy, Brian Spridgens, Alex returned to Brymore to meet up with the school’s longest serving member of staff.

Along with meeting students and staff, Alex also race walked the Chads Hill run, one that boys have to do once a week, but managed to walk it quicker than the majority of the students can run it.

Alex started race walking as a schoolboy at Brymore and attended many of the local championships before racing for Somerset numerous times.

This experience led to him pursuing a career in athletics and heading to some of the biggest events in the world including the Olympics.

Alex said: "Without the introduction to race walking by my teacher I definitely would not have fulfilled all I have within sport and I am so thankful and grateful to him and the school for their support over the years."

Bridgwater Mercury: Alex with some of the current Brymore students.Alex with some of the current Brymore students.

Brymore have had an outdoor swimming pool for 50 years but age was taking its toll and it needed over £300,000 worth of refurbishment including the pumps and additional heating.

The Bridgwater and Taunton College Trust, who oversee the academy, ensured that this was covered and that the swimming pool was resurrected for many more years to come.

Mark Thomas, head of Brymore, said: "The boys here are loving having the pool reopened and it really does add to the all round experience that they get when coming to Brymore.

"We are hugely grateful to the Trust for their assistance with this project and for agreeing the funding for the pool and the bonus is having Alex return to inspire our students with his story."

After some speeches, Alex and Brian both officially opened the swimming pool and members of the incoming and outgoing senior student leadership team jumped into the water.